Hydrangeas at Tokyo’s Takahata Fudo-son Temple

This five-storied pagoda is one of the highlights of the temple.There were food stalls in the area too, possibly because of the hydrangea festival.

The mountain behind the temple has a hiking course that goes up and down it.
Many hydrangeas bloom along the mountain, so be sure to visit in comfortable shoes for walking!

I took these photos with my camera’s settings somewhat darkened to bring out the damp feeling these hydrangeas had, as they bloom during the rainy season.

There are 88 small Jizo statues scattered around the temple’s grounds, creating a pilgrimage course across the grounds inspired by the 88-site Shikoku Pilgrimage. This is a great and easy experience to undertake for those who can’t travel all over Japan’s four islands.

Here are some photos of the Jizo statues alongside hydrangeas.

The Yamauchi Hachijuuhakkasho can take over an hour to complete in full. It’s good exercise!

I fiddled with my camera’s settings a bit and took some high-key (bright setting) photos.

After walking along the path, I made my way back to the entry area. I had planned on taking a temple-esque picture at this point, but my camera’s battery died. I also wanted to take some pictures of hydrangeas at Keio Mogusaen, just one station over, but instead I just trudged on back home.

This time, I got to see gorgeous hydrangeas thanks to visiting at a good time.
There are many sightseers during the hydrangea festival, but the walking path was comparatively unpopulated, and it was easy to get around.
The walking area is large enough that you can get a bit lost without a map. However, there are maps of the area posted everywhere, so don’t be afraid to use them!